Near the end of October 1941, almost two thousand Canadian troops set sail from Vancouver to reinforce the British Colony of Hong Kong against the Imperial Japanese Army. On Christmas Day the island fell to the invaders, and its defenders were ordered to surrender by the governor of Hong Kong. The survivors were taken captive.

During their captivity, the POWs endured starvation, forced labour, and brutal beatings. They lived in deplorable conditions. Many died from illness. But the soldiers stuck together, bound by their camaraderie, loyalty to King and Country, and collective desire to sabotage the Japanese war effort.

Among the Canadians were a few hundred soldiers from New Brunswick, including the author's father, Andrew "Ando" Flanagan, a rifleman from Jacquet River, NB. Based on his first-hand accounts The Endless Battle explores the Battle of Hong Kong and its long aftermath through the eyes of the soldiers. Writing intimately and sensitively about the lingering effects of trauma suffered by the soldiers held in captivity. Andy Flanagan shows both the heroism of individual soldiers and the terrible costs of war.

The Endless Battle: The Fall of Hong Kong and Canadian POWs in Imperial Japan is volume 24 in the New Brunswick Military Heritage Series.